Nuclear Energy How much of it do we know we have and how much do we think we can get?
- Nuclear energy is a non-renewable resource, which means what we already have and what we can get is all we have. Therefore, we cannot produce any more than what we can obtain.
How do we use it??
- We first get the energy that is released from the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear energy is the energy that is obtained from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process known as nuclear fission. Although there are three ways from which nuclear reaction is possible - Fission, decay and fusion, only the energy from the first has been utilized till date. But we use it for Food and Agriculture and Human Health.
Food and Agriculture - We are trying to use technology to increase agricultural production, improve food availability and quality, reduce production costs and minimize pollution of food crop. Human Health - Use is in the treatment of cancer = radiotherapy. Also their are little uses of radioisotope tracers that are used for diagnostic and research purposes. These techniques monitor the levels of toxic substances in food, air and water.
Other - Used in industries for processing and sterilization of various products by means of radiation.
This chart below will give you a general idea of how many countries are using Nuclear energy in the world:
Country\Percent
France
Slovakia
Belgium
Ukraine
Hungary
Armenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Slovenia
Czech Rep
Bulgaria
Korea Rep.
Japan
Finland
Germany
When you use this energy source what are the environmental impacts?
- If you don't know this then pay attention. Nuclear power plants use large quantities of water for steam production and for cooling. So when nuclear power plants remove water from a lake or river for steam production and cooling, fish and other aquatic life can be affected.
- Water discharges happens when the uranium and rainwater runoff mix, Which causes contamination in the ground water etc.
- Radioactive wastes among the power plants, caused by contamination of radiation.
- Where the power plants are = it destroyed natural habitat for plants and animals and contaminated local land with toxic by-products.
How much of it do we know we have and how much do we think we can get?
- Nuclear energy is a non-renewable resource, which means what we already have and what we can get is all we have. Therefore, we cannot produce any more than what we can obtain.
How much longer will we be able to use it at our current rate?
- Since we have discovered 5.5 million metric tons and have about 10.5 metric tons undiscovered we stand at about 230 years of supplies on today's consumption.
- Check more about this at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-long-will-global-uranium-deposits-last
How do we use it??
- We first get the energy that is released from the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear energy is the energy that is obtained from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process known as nuclear fission. Although there are three ways from which nuclear reaction is possible - Fission, decay and fusion, only the energy from the first has been utilized till date. But we use it for Food and Agriculture and Human Health.
Food and Agriculture - We are trying to use technology to increase agricultural production, improve food availability and quality, reduce production costs and minimize pollution of food crop.
Human Health - Use is in the treatment of cancer = radiotherapy. Also their are little uses of radioisotope tracers that are used for diagnostic and research purposes. These techniques monitor the levels of toxic substances in food, air and water.
Other - Used in industries for processing and sterilization of various products by means of radiation.
This chart below will give you a general idea of how many countries are using Nuclear energy in the world:
Country\Percent
Slovakia
Belgium
Ukraine
Hungary
Armenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Slovenia
Czech Rep
Bulgaria
Korea Rep.
Japan
Finland
Germany
51.8%
51.1%
48.1%
42.0%
39.4%
38.1%
38.0%
37.4%
33.2%
33.0%
33.2%
29.2%
27.5%
27.3%
- If you don't know this then pay attention. Nuclear power plants use large quantities of water for steam production and for cooling. So when nuclear power plants remove water from a lake or river for steam production and cooling, fish and other aquatic life can be affected.
- Water discharges happens when the uranium and rainwater runoff mix, Which causes contamination in the ground water etc.
- Radioactive wastes among the power plants, caused by contamination of radiation.
- Where the power plants are = it destroyed natural habitat for plants and animals and contaminated local land with toxic by-products.